What changed in this filing

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Item 1A. Risk Factors

2024-05-02 compared with 2023-11-02 · 44 added, 51 removed, 272 unchanged (26% of the section changed)

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In each of our geographic markets, we face significant competition from global and regional branded apparel, footwear, accessories, and equipment companies.

More recently this competition has extended to emerging brands that may not be viewed as outdoor brands but are participating in the outdoor apparel and footwear industry.

Retailers who are our wholesale customers often pose a significant competitive threat by designing, marketing and distributing apparel, footwear, accessories, and equipment under their own private labels.

We also experience direct competition in our DTC business from retailers that are our wholesale customers.

This is true in particular in the digital marketplace, where increased consumer expectations and competitive pressure related to various aspects of our e-commerce business, including speed of product delivery, shipping charges, return privileges, and other evolving expectations are key factors.

This is particularly the case in the digital marketplace, where increased consumer expectations and competitive pressure related to various aspects of our e-commerce business, including speed of product delivery, shipping charges, return privileges, and other evolving expectations are key factors.

• Consumer Preferences and Fashion/Product Trends.

Changes in consumer preferences, consumer interest in outdoor activities, and fashion/product trends may have a material adverse effect on our business.

We also face risks because our success depends on our and our customers' abilities to anticipate consumer preferences and our ability to respond to changes in a timely manner.

We also face risks because our success depends on our and our customers' abilities to anticipate consumer preferences and our ability to respond to changes of such preferences in a timely manner.

Product development and/or production lead times for many of our products may make it more difficult for us to respond rapidly to new or changing fashion/product trends or consumer preferences.

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In addition, consumer and customer sentiment could be shaped by our sustainability policies and related design, sourcing and operational decisions.

Finally, demand in certain channels may be impacted in the short term as we seek to bring additional consumer segments to our brands by proactively managing the promotional activity of the brands in the marketplace.

• Weather Conditions, Including Global Climate Change Trends.

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Our DTC sales are dependent in part on the weather and our DTC sales growth is likely to be adversely impacted or may even decline in years in which weather conditions do not stimulate demand for our products.

Unseasonably warm weather also impacts future sales to our wholesale customers, who may hold inventory into subsequent seasons in response to unseasonably warm weather.

Our results may be negatively impacted if management is not able to adjust expenses in a timely manner in response to unfavorable weather

Unseasonably warm weather also impacts future sales to our

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conditions and the resulting impact on consumer and customer demand.

The magnitude by which global weather patterns trend warmer will influence the extent to which consumer and customer demand for our outerwear products will be negatively affected.

wholesale customers, who may hold inventory into subsequent seasons in response to unseasonably warm weather.

Our results may be negatively impacted if management is not able to adjust expenses in a timely manner in response to unfavorable weather conditions and the resulting impact on consumer and customer demand.

The magnitude of climate change and whether resulting weather patterns continue to trend warmer will influence the extent to which consumer and customer demand for our outerwear products will be negatively affected.

• Shifts in Retail Traffic Patterns.

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Our Inability to Accurately Predict Consumer and/or Customer Demand for Our Products Could Lead to a Build-up of Inventory or a Lack of Inventory and Affect Our Gross Margin.

We have implemented key strategic initiatives designed to improve the efficiency of our supply chain, such as spreading out the production of our products over time, which may lead to the build-up of inventory well in advance of the selling seasons for such products.

Additionally, we place orders for our products with our contract manufacturers in advance of the related selling season and, as a result, are vulnerable to changes in consumer and/or customer demand for our products.

We place orders for our products with our contract manufacturers in advance of the related selling season and, as a result, are vulnerable to changes in consumer and/or customer demand for our products.

Therefore, we must accurately forecast consumer and/or customer demand for our products well in advance of the selling season.

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Our ability to accurately predict consumer and/or customer demand well in advance of the selling season for our products is impacted by these risks, as well as our reliance on manual processes and judgments that are subject to human error.

These risks are heightened during periods of macroeconomic and geopolitical volatility, such as we are currently experiencing.

Our failure to accurately forecast consumer and/or customer demand could result in inventory levels in excess of demand (as currently is the case), which may cause inventory write-downs and/or the sale of excess inventory at discounted prices through our owned outlet stores or third-party liquidation channels and could have a material adverse effect on our brand image and gross margin.

In addition, we are experiencing and may continue to experience additional costs relating to the storage and processing of excess inventory.

Conversely, if we underestimate consumer and/or customer demand for our products or if our contract manufacturers or third-party logistics providers are unable to supply or deliver products when we need them, we may experience inventory shortages, which may prevent us from fulfilling product orders resulting in lost sales, delay shipments of product, negatively affect our wholesale customer and consumer relationships, result in increased costs to expedite production and delivery, or diminish our ability to build brand loyalty.

These risks are heightened during periods of macroeconomic and geopolitical volatility.

Our failure to accurately forecast consumer and/or customer demand could result in inventory levels in excess of demand, which may cause inventory write-downs and/or the sale of excess inventory at discounted prices through our outlet stores, temporary clearance locations, or third-party liquidation channels (as we are currently doing) and could have a material adverse effect on our brand image and gross margin.

In addition, we may experience additional costs and margin pressure relating to the storage and processing of excess inventory, including through our outlet stores and temporary clearance locations.

Conversely, if we underestimate consumer and/or customer demand for our products or if our contract manufacturers or third-party logistics providers are unable to supply or deliver products when we need them, we may experience inventory shortages, which may prevent us from fulfilling product orders or having optimal inventory assortments for our DTC channels resulting in lost sales, negatively affect our wholesale customer and consumer relationships, result in increased costs to expedite production and delivery, or diminish our ability to build brand loyalty.

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In addition, contract manufacturers may fail to perform as expected.

If a contract manufacturer fails to ship orders in a timely manner (as was the case throughout 2022), we could experience supply disruptions that result in missed delivery deadlines, which may cause our customers to cancel their orders, refuse to accept deliveries or demand a reduction in purchase price or cause us to incur additional freight costs.

If a contract manufacturer fails to ship orders in a timely manner, we could experience supply disruptions that result in missed delivery deadlines, which may cause our customers to cancel their orders, refuse to accept deliveries or demand a reduction in purchase price or cause us to incur additional freight costs.

Reliance on contract manufacturers also creates quality control risks.

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Our products are derived from raw materials that are subject to both disruptions to supply availability and price volatility.

If there are supply disruptions or price increases for raw materials we use in our products (as is currently the case) and we are unable to obtain sufficient raw materials to meet production needs or offset rising costs by increasing the price of our products or achieving efficiency improvements, we could experience negative impacts to our sales and profitability.

If there are supply disruptions or price increases for raw materials we use in our products and we are unable to obtain sufficient raw materials to meet production needs or offset rising costs by increasing the price of our products or achieving efficiency improvements, we could experience negative impacts to our sales and profitability.

For Certain Materials We Depend on a Limited Number of Suppliers, Which May Cause Increased Costs or Production Delays.

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Any disruption in the operations of these providers or changes to the costs they charge, due to capacity constraints, volatile fuel prices or otherwise, could materially impact our sales and profitability.

A prolonged disruption in the operations of these providers could also require us to seek alternative distribution arrangements, which may not be available on attractive terms and could lead to delays in distribution of products, either of which could have a significant and material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

A prolonged disruption in the operations of these providers could also require us to seek alternative distribution arrangements, which may not be available on

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In addition, the ability to move products over larger geographical distances could be constrained by ocean, air and trucking cargo capacity constraints or labor disruptions, or such constraints or disruptions at ports or borders.

These constraints and disruptions could hinder our ability to satisfy demand through our wholesale and DTC businesses, and we may miss delivery deadlines, which may cause our customers to cancel their orders, refuse to accept deliveries or demand a reduction in purchase price.

In addition, increases in distribution costs, including but not limited to freight costs, could adversely affect our costs, which we may not be able to offset through price increases or decreased promotions.

attractive terms and could lead to delays in distribution of products, either of which could have a significant and material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

In addition, the ability to move products over larger geographical distances could be negatively affected by ocean, air and trucking cargo capacity constraints or labor disruptions, or such constraints or disruptions at ports or borders, or geopolitical conflicts (such as is occurring currently in the Red Sea).

These constraints, conflicts and disruptions could hinder our ability to satisfy demand through our wholesale and DTC businesses, and we may miss delivery deadlines, which may cause our customers to cancel their orders, refuse to accept deliveries or demand a reduction in purchase price.

Furthermore, increases in distribution costs, including but not limited to freight costs, could adversely affect our costs, which we may not be able to offset through price increases or decreased promotions.

We receive our products from third-party logistics providers at our owned distribution centers in the United States, Canada and France.

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These efforts, coupled with a continuous focus on expense discipline, may place strain on internal resources, and we may have operating difficulties as a result.

Our strategic priorities also generally involve increased expenditures, which could cause our profitability or operating margin to decline if we are unable to offset our increased spending with increased sales or gross profit or comparable reductions in other operating costs.

This could result in a decision to delay, modify, or terminate certain initiatives related to our strategic priorities.

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We continue to make investments in our digital capabilities and our DTC operations, including new stores.

Since many of the costs of our DTC operations are fixed, we may be unable to reduce expenses in order to avoid losses or negative cash flows if we have insufficient sales, including as a result of restrictions on operations.

(See “Initiatives to Upgrade Our Business Processes and Information Technology Systems to Optimize Our Operational and Financial Performance Involve Many Risks Which Could Result in, Among Other Things, Business Interruptions, Higher Costs and Lost Profits”.) Since many of the costs of our DTC operations are fixed, we may be unable to reduce expenses in order to avoid losses or negative cash flows if we have insufficient sales.

We may not be able to exit DTC brick and mortar locations and related leases at all or without significant cost or loss, renegotiate the terms thereof, or effectively manage the profitability of our existing brick and mortar stores.

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Any transition of the cloud-based solutions currently provided to different cloud providers would be difficult to implement and may cause us to incur significant time and expense.

If we and/or our cloud-based solution providers are not successful in preventing or effectively responding to outages and cyberattacks, our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow could be materially and adversely affected.

If we and/or our cloud-based solution providers are not successful in preventing or effectively responding to outages or cyberattacks, our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow could be materially and adversely affected.

A Security Breach of Our or Our Third-Parties' Systems, Exposure of Personal or Confidential Information or Increased Government Regulation Relating to Handling of Personal Data, Could, Among Other Things, Disrupt Our Operations or Cause Us to Incur Substantial Costs or Negatively Affect Our Reputation.

We and many of our third-party vendors manage and maintain various types of proprietary information and sensitive and confidential data relating to our business, such as personally identifiable information of our consumers, our customers, our employees, and our business partners, as well as credit card information in certain instances.

Unauthorized parties may attempt to gain access to these systems or information through fraud or other means of deceiving our employees or third-party service providers.

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The ever-evolving threats mean we and our third-parties must continually evaluate and adapt our systems and processes, and there is no guarantee that these efforts will be adequate to safeguard against all data security breaches or misuses of data.

Any breaches of our or our third-parties’ systems could expose us, our customers, our consumers, our suppliers, our employees, or other individuals that may be affected to a risk of loss or misuse of this information, result in litigation and potential liability for us, damage our reputation, or otherwise harm our business.

While we maintain cyber liability insurance policies for coverage in the event of a cybersecurity

Any breaches of our or our third-parties’ systems could expose us, our customers, our consumers, our suppliers, our employees, or other individuals to a risk of loss or misuse of this information, result in litigation and potential liability for us, damage our reputation, or

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incident, we cannot be certain that our existing coverage will continue to be available on acceptable terms or will be available, and in sufficient amount, to cover the potentially significant losses that could result from a cybersecurity incident or that the insurer will not deny coverage as to any future claims.

otherwise harm our business.

While we maintain cyber liability insurance policies for coverage in the event of a cybersecurity incident, we cannot be certain that our existing coverage will continue to be available on acceptable terms or will be available, and in sufficient amount, to cover the potentially significant losses that could result from a cybersecurity incident or that the insurer will not deny coverage as to any future claims.

In addition, as the regulatory environment related to information security, data collection and use and privacy becomes increasingly rigorous, with new and constantly changing requirements applicable to our business, compliance with those requirements could also result in additional costs or liabilities.

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The diverted attention of these employees may impact our operations and there may be additional costs incurred by us for third-party resources to advise on the constantly changing landscape.

We have recently experienced this with the new privacy laws in China.

Limitations on the use of data may also impact our future business strategies.

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Certain of Our Products Are Subject to Product Regulations and/or Carry Warranties, Which May Cause an Increase to Our Expenses in the Event of Non-Compliance and/or Warranty Claims.

Our products are subject to increasingly stringent and complex domestic and foreign product labeling, performance, environmental and safety standards, laws and other regulations, including those pertaining to PFAS and other environmental impacts.

These requirements could result in greater expense associated with compliance efforts, and failure to comply with these regulations could result in a delay, non-delivery, recall, or destruction of inventory shipments during key seasons, a loss of advance orders from wholesale customers or in other financial penalties.

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Unfavorable audit findings and tax rulings may result in payment of taxes, fines and penalties for prior periods and higher tax rates in future periods.

On December 22, 2017, the United States government enacted comprehensive tax legislation, commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "TCJA").

The TCJA made broad and complex changes to the United States tax code.

In addition, on March 27, 2020, the United States government enacted the U.S.

Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the "CARES Act").

A change in interpretation of the applicable revisions to the United States tax code and related tax accounting guidance, changes in assumptions made in developing these estimates, and regulatory guidance that may be issued with respect to the applicable revisions to the United States tax code, and state tax implications as a result of the TCJA, the CARES Act, and other recent legislation may cause actual amounts to differ from our provisional estimates.

In addition, proposals to reform U.S.

and foreign tax laws could significantly impact how U.S.

multinational corporations are taxed on foreign earnings and could increase the U.S.

corporate tax rate.

Although we cannot predict whether or in what form these proposals will pass, several of the proposals considered, if enacted into law, could have an adverse impact on our effective tax rate, income tax expense and cash flows.

Other changes in the tax laws of the jurisdictions where we do business, including an increase in tax rates or an adverse change in the treatment of an item of income or expense, could result in a material increase in our tax expense.

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The OECD, which represents a coalition of member countries, has recommended changes to numerous long-standing tax principles.

The OECD Pillar 2 global minimum tax rules, which generally provide for a minimum effective tax rate of 15%, are intended to apply for tax years beginning in 2024.

On February 2, 2023, the OECD issued administrative guidance providing transition and safe harbor rules around the implementation of the Pillar 2 global minimum tax.

Under a transitional safe harbor released July 17, 2023, the undertaxed profits rule top-up tax in the jurisdiction of a company's ultimate parent entity will be zero for each fiscal year of the transition period if that jurisdiction has a corporate tax rate of at least 20%.

The safe harbor transition period will apply to fiscal years beginning on or before December 31, 2025 and ending before December 31, 2026.

We are closely monitoring developments and evaluating the impact these new rules are anticipated to have on our tax rate, including eligibility to qualify for these safe harbor rules.

As these changes are adopted by countries, tax uncertainty could increase and may adversely affect our provision for income taxes.

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We are subject to risks generally associated with doing business internationally.

These risks include, but are not limited to, the burden of complying with, and unexpected changes to, foreign and domestic laws and regulations, such as anti-corruption and forced labor regulations and sanctions regimes, climate-change regulations, the effects of fiscal and political crises and political and economic disputes, changes in diverse consumer preferences, foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, managing a diverse and widespread workforce, political unrest, terrorist acts, military operations, disruptions or delays in shipments, disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and changes in economic conditions in countries in which we contract to manufacture, source raw materials or sell products.

Our ability to sell products in certain

These risks include, but are not limited to, the burden of complying with, and unexpected changes to, foreign and domestic laws and regulations, such as anti-corruption and forced labor regulations and sanctions regimes, sustainability regulations, the effects of fiscal and political crises and political and economic disputes, changes in diverse consumer preferences, foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, managing a diverse and widespread workforce, political unrest, terrorist acts, military operations, disruptions or delays in shipments, disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and changes in economic conditions in countries in which we contract to manufacture, source raw materials or sell products.

Our ability to sell products in certain markets, demand for our products in certain markets, our ability to collect accounts receivable, our contract manufacturers' ability to procure raw materials or manufacture products, distribution and logistics providers' ability to operate, our ability to operate brick and mortar stores, our workforce, and our cost of doing business (including the cost of freight and logistics) may be impacted by these events should they occur and laws and regulations that are enacted in response to such events.

Our exposure to these risks is heightened in Vietnam, where a significant portion of our contract manufacturing is located, and in China, where a large portion of the raw materials used in our products is sourced by

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markets, demand for our products in certain markets, our ability to collect accounts receivable, our contract manufacturers' ability to procure raw materials or manufacture products, distribution and logistics providers' ability to operate, our ability to operate brick and mortar stores, our workforce, and our cost of doing business (including the cost of freight and logistics) may be impacted by these events should they occur and laws and regulations.

Should certain of these events occur in Vietnam or China, they could cause a substantial disruption to our business and have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

our contract manufacturers.

In addition, many of our imported products are subject to duties, tariffs or other import limitations that affect the cost and quantity of various types of goods imported into the United States and other markets, including the punitive tariffs on U.S.

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While a majority of our own operations are not subject to organized labor agreements, certain of our operations in Europe include a formal representation of employees by a Works Council and the application of a collective bargaining agreement.

Matters that may affect our workforce (including COVID-19 infections or the risk thereof) at contract manufacturers where our goods are produced, shipping ports, transportation carriers, retail stores, or distribution centers create risks for our business, particularly if these matters result in work shut-downs (with little to no notice), slowdowns, lockouts, strikes, limitations on the number of individuals able to work (e.g.

social distancing) or other disruptions.

Matters that may affect our workforce at contract manufacturers where our goods are produced, shipping ports, transportation carriers, retail stores, or distribution centers create risks for our business, particularly if these matters result in work shut-downs (with little to no notice), slowdowns, lockouts, strikes, or other disruptions.

The foregoing includes potential impacts to our business as a result of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and Teamsters negotiations.

Labor matters may have a material adverse effect on our business, potentially resulting in canceled orders by customers, inability to fulfill potential e-commerce demand, unanticipated inventory accumulation and reduced net sales and net income.

In addition, our ability to meet our labor needs at our distribution centers, retail stores, corporate headquarters, and regional subsidiaries, including our ability to find qualified employees while controlling wage and related labor costs, is generally subject to numerous external factors, including the availability of a sufficient number of qualified people in the work force of the markets in which our operations are located, unemployment levels within those markets, absenteeism, prevailing wage rates, changing demographics, parental responsibilities, health and other insurance costs, adoption of new or revised employment and labor laws and regulations, and fear of contracting COVID-19.

In addition, our ability to meet our labor needs at our distribution centers, retail stores, corporate headquarters, and regional subsidiaries, including our ability to find qualified employees while controlling wage and related labor costs, is generally subject to numerous external factors, including the availability of a sufficient number of qualified people in the work force of the markets in which our operations are located, unemployment levels within those markets, absenteeism, prevailing wage rates, changing demographics, parental responsibilities, health and other insurance costs, and adoption of new or revised employment and labor laws and regulations.

Our ability to source, distribute and sell products in a timely and cost-effective manner may be negatively affected to the extent we experience these factors.

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Acquisitions may also cause us to incur debt or result in dilutive issuances of our equity securities.

Our acquisitions may cause large one-time expenses or create goodwill or other intangible assets that could result in significant impairment charges in the future.

Our acquisitions may cause large one-time expenses or create goodwill or other intangible assets that could result in significant impairment charges in the future (as has recently occurred with the prAna brand).

We also make various estimates and assumptions in order to determine purchase price allocation and estimate the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed.

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Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market.

The size of our public float and our average daily trading volume makes the price of our common stock susceptible to large degrees of fluctuation.

Factors such as general market conditions, actions by institutional investors to rapidly accumulate or divest of a substantial number of our shares, fluctuations in financial results, variances from financial market expectations, changes in earnings estimates or recommendations by analysts, or announcements by us or our competitors may cause the market price of our common stock to fluctuate, perhaps substantially.

Certain Shareholders Have Substantial Control Over Us and Are Able to Influence Corporate Matters.

As of September 30, 2023, three related shareholders, Timothy P.

As of March 31, 2024, three related shareholders, Timothy P.

Boyle, Joseph P.

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Boyle are able to exercise significant influence over all matters requiring shareholder approval.

These holdings could be significantly diminished (and with them the related effective control percentage) to satisfy any applicable estate or unrealized gains tax obligations of holders.

These holdings could be significantly diminished (and with them the related effective control percentage) to satisfy any applicable estate or unrealized gains tax obligations of the holders.

The Sale or Proposed Sale of a Substantial Number of Shares of Our Common Stock Could Cause the Market Price of Our Common Stock to Decline.

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The sale or the prospect of the sale of a substantial number of these shares may have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.

We also may issue our capital stock or securities convertible into our capital stock from time to time in connection with a financing, acquisition, investments, or otherwise.

We also may issue our capital stock or securities convertible into our capital stock from time to time in connection with a financing, acquisition, investment, or otherwise.

Any such issuance could result in substantial dilution to our existing shareholders and cause the market price of our common stock to decline.

Compared sentence by sentence after normalising whitespace, quotation marks, case and digits, so re-formatting and restated figures do not read as changed language. Wording changes appear as one removal and one addition. The current filing and the prior one are authoritative.

What changed 10-Q

Item 1A. Risk Factors